Coming attractions in San Antonio

Published 7:53 am, Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Jessica Chastain plays the title character, a lobbyist, in “Miss Sloane.”

Jessica Chastain plays the title character, a lobbyist, in “Miss Sloane.”

Photo: Europa

Coming attractions in San Antonio

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Manchester by the Sea: Oscar buzz is getting louder for this acclaimed drama and its star, Casey Affleck. Some critics already have proclaimed it one of the year’s best movies since its limited release last month; it boasts a 97 Tomatometer score. Affleck is Lee Chandler, a Boston janitor who returns home after learning (to his surprise) that his late older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has made him the guardian of his 16-year-old nephew (Lucas Hedges). Both have issues, to put it mildly. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, this is his first major film since 2000’s acclaimed “You Can Count on Me,” which earned Laura Linney an Oscar nomination.

Miss Sloane: Jessica Chastain portrays high-powered Washington lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane, “who knows how to smile while cutting your throat,” wrote Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers. She winds up battling her former boss (Sam Waterston) while trying to sell a gun-control bill he wants to quash. Chastain’s performance has been described as “awards worthy” by Rotten Tomatoes. Director John Madden has Oscars on his resume from “Shakespeare in Love.”

Office Christmas Party: If your idea of a great holiday movie includes crude sexual content, profanity, drug use and graphic nudity (presumably, that means full frontal), this could do it for you. Faced with losing their jobs after an ultimatum from the CEO (Jennifer Aniston), T.J. Miller and Jason Bateman try to stage the mother of all holiday parties to impress a potential client. Co-stars include Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn and Rob Corddry. Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck handled the so-so figure-skating comedy “Blades of Glory.”